Turtle pudding

[Feller95]

Another post regarding turtles - have come across this turtle feed/pudding mix which came from a care sheet. Does this look alright? I was under the impression vegetables and fruit weren't allowed? Or any other recipes suggested? Just to supplement existing diet of fish, yabbies, watercress and prawns.

TURTLE FEED MIXTURE – CRAIG LATTA (2005)
Ingredients:
1kg Steak/Kangaroo Meat
1kg Seafood Mix (Prawns, Mussels, Fish, Calamari)
½ Broccoli (leaves)
½ Parsley Bunch
1 Banana
1 Tablespoon Vitamin Supplement
1 Tablespoon Calcium Supplement

Method: Blend together all food ingredients -Add one tablespoon of vitamin and calcium supplement each and mix - Package into serving proportion sizes and freeze for later consumption

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

Another post regarding turtles - have come across this turtle feed/pudding mix which came from a care sheet. Does this look alright? I was under the impression vegetables and fruit weren't allowed? Or any other recipes suggested? Just to supplement existing diet of fish, yabbies, watercress and prawns.

TURTLE FEED MIXTURE – CRAIG LATTA (2005)
Ingredients:
1kg Steak/Kangaroo Meat
1kg Seafood Mix (Prawns, Mussels, Fish, Calamari)
½ Broccoli (leaves)
½ Parsley Bunch
1 Banana
1 Tablespoon Vitamin Supplement
1 Tablespoon Calcium Supplement

Method: Blend together all food ingredients -Add one tablespoon of vitamin and calcium supplement each and mix - Package into serving proportion sizes and freeze for later consumption

Hey man, absolutely not... that advice would never have been endorsed by Craig Latta. Red meat and vegetables are not to be fed to aquatic turtles.

 

[Feller95]

Hey man, absolutely not... that advice would never have been endorsed by Craig Latta. Red meat and vegetables are not to be fed to aquatic turtles.

I thought it was odd it said it was from Craig! Here is the link for it, posted in the last few pages.
https://aszk.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Reptiles.-Eastern-Longnecked-Turtle-2006BH.pdf

 

[Herpetology]

i would only pay attention these sections mate, these guides are written for zoo care by students

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

Mealworms and or superworms and crickets shouldn't be fed to turtles... that info has been readily available for over 30 years.

I thought it was odd it said it was from Craig! Here is the link for it, posted in the last few pages.
https://aszk.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Reptiles.-Eastern-Longnecked-Turtle-2006BH.pdf

I don't see Craig's name anywhere on that, he'd never endorse red meat or fruits/vegetables intended for human consumption for freshwater turtles. .

This is his care-guide, in it can be found his recommendations for a freshwater turtle pudding mix...

 

[Rob]

I don't see Craig's name anywhere on that,

It's in the appendix.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

It's in the appendix.

View attachment 331656

Perhaps he was consulted, he certainly wasn't the author of that, and obviously his input was disregarded entirely. Craig's care guide was written in 1996, 9 years prior to this atrocity.

 

[Rob]

Perhaps he was consulted, he certainly wasn't the author of that, and obviously his input was disregarded entirely. Craig's care guide was written in 1996, 9 years prior to this atrocity.

Perhaps Craig needs to contact ASZK to get it rectified?

 

[Feller95]

Could it be perhaps there has been more research on turtle nutrition has since appeared from 1996, which is nearly 25 yo? For example in the caresheet (Craigs) it suggests feeding pellets once a week but I often see this being discouraged. Similarly, a lot of the medical information like shell rot, it suggests betadine which has now been shown to delay healing/destroy good cells and there is now alternatives?

The caresheet suggests dandelions as they have a good Calhos rating, despite having a moderate oxalates which is discouraged. While green cabbage, bok choy, broccoli leaves and watercress has the same Calhos rating with low oxalates? Would this not suggest other leafy greens would fall under the category as watercress and dandelions?

Not to discredit Craig at all! One of the most in depth care sheets out there. Just starting a constructive conversation about if there is new data out there!

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

Could it be perhaps there has been more research on turtle nutrition has since appeared from 1996, which is nearly 25 yo? For example in the caresheet (Craigs) it suggests feeding pellets once a week but I often see this being discouraged. Similarly, a lot of the medical information like shell rot, it suggests betadine which has now been shown to delay healing/destroy good cells and there is now alternatives?

The caresheet suggests dandelions as they have a good Calhos rating, despite having a moderate oxalates which is discouraged. While green cabbage, bok choy, broccoli leaves and watercress has the same Calhos rating with low oxalates? Would this not suggest other leafy greens would fall under the category as watercress and dandelions?

Not to discredit Craig at all! One of the most in depth care sheets out there. Just starting a constructive conversation about if there is new data out there!

Craig's care guide is updated to 2021. It is the most relevant care sheet to date on the captive keeping of Aquatic freshwater turtles. If anyone is actively discouraging anything he's written in it, claiming it detrimental to turtles, ask for their credentials and compare them with his, I know who I'll be listening to... All I can tell you is to Take what he says in it as gospel and ignore anything written anywhere else.

 

[Feller95]

Craig's care guide is updated to 2021. It is the most relevant care sheet to date on the captive keeping of Aquatic freshwater turtles. If anyone is actively discouraging anything he's written in it, claiming it detrimental to turtles, ask for their credentials and compare them with his, I know who I'll be listening to... All I can tell you is to Take what he says in it as gospel and ignore anything written anywhere else.

Yep I use all my turtle keeping data based from his care sheet. I have it printed and rely on this. Didn’t realise it was updated to 2021 so makes sense!

any thoughts on the leafy greens comment on this? Or is Craig still around on a forum somewhere to see his thoughts? In turns of nutrition they seem to match up. Not feeding corn, peas etc makes sense of course.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

Yep I use all my turtle keeping data based from his care sheet. I have it printed and rely on this. Didn’t realise it was updated to 2021 so makes sense!

any thoughts on the leafy greens comment on this? Or is Craig still around on a forum somewhere to see his thoughts? In turns of nutrition they seem to match up. Not feeding corn, peas etc makes sense of course.

Craig recommends native azolla, duckweed, vallisneria, elodea and watercress. Spirulina Algae wafers are also approved.

Craig has retired indefinitely from active forum duty.

 

[Feller95]

Craig recommends native azolla, duckweed, vallisneria, elodea and watercress. Spirulina Algae wafers are also approved.

Craig has retired indefinitely from active forum duty.

Unfortunately all of those are aquatic which I can’t grow enough of quickly, and no native creeks/ dams nearby.

Mixing in cabbage leaves and bokchoy could be a good alternative in between. I currently buy water cress from the local markets but hadn’t been in stock for 2 weeks now.

Or any tips on how to get large amount of aquatic weeds! Too much of a brown thumb.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

Unfortunately all of those are aquatic which I can’t grow enough of quickly, and no native creeks/ dams nearby.

Mixing in cabbage leaves and bokchoy could be a good alternative in between. I currently buy water cress from the local markets but hadn’t been in stock for 2 weeks now.

Turtles are aquatic, not terrestrial like tortoises, ergo the plants and weeds they have evolved to eat are aquatic, so no cabbage and bokchoy can't be used. Coles and Woolworths supermarlets both stock fresh watercress bunches in their herbs section, $3 or 2 for $5. It's where I've gotten it from for many years.

 

[Feller95]

Turtles are aquatic, not terrestrial like tortoises, ergo the plants and weeds they have evolved to eat are aquatic, so no cabbage and bokchoy can't be used. Coles and Woolworths supermarlets both stock fresh watercress bunches in their herbs section, $3 or 2 for $5. It's where I've gotten it from for many years.

Yep Coles is usually my place too.

I see Craig suggests Dandelion, Clover, Cat’s ears and Plantain. Might be a good terrestrial alternative as we own property and have some of this until I can get water cress.

That bunch is incredible! The ones they sell here aren’t even half the size of that one.